making news in america this morning -- >> a powerful and deadly storm slams a huge chunk of the nation. and it's not over yet. snow, rain and wind are causing major destruction. we will let you know what you can expect today. also this morning, a turn for the worse. former president h.w. bush is in doctor's care. what they're saying about his prognosis. plus, twisted luck after a horrible crash. how a jogger jumped into action to help save a man's life. and who says you have to be a kid to get giddy over your gifts? this viral video shows a man's genuine joy. and now, his family is sharing his story.

good morning. i'm muhammad lila, in for rob nelson. >> i'm brandi hitt in for paula faris. she's on assignment. we begin with the storm system that is leaving communities covered in snow. the storm is being blamed for six deaths. thousands are without power. and travelers are stranded. a deadly winter storm has dropped massive amounts of snow from arkansas up through the midwest, to illinois and indiana. the powerful system is now a nor'easter, with strong winds and even more snow. >> we tried to get out of the parking spot. we're spinning in circles. >> reporter: the storms spawned rare december tornadoes along the gulf coast. mobile, alabama, was hard-hit, leaving many without power. >> the power went out. we could hear it coming. we ran and jumped in the bathtub. >> reporter: the storms are also having a devastating affect on post holiday travel. people driving home are finding canceled flights or treacherous driving conditions. >> we're trying to get home. or plan "b," we spend more time

with the grandkids here. >> reporter: snow is expected to fall throughout friday morning. the storm brought with it freezing rain and sleet, making driving treacherous. >> if you can stay out of it, stay out of it. >> reporter: those who don't have to travel are making the best of it, getting out and enjoying the snow. as the storm zeros in on the northeast, drivers are being warned to stay off the treacherous roads. >> and our coverage continues with the latest from accuweather and meteorologist andrew baglini. good morning, andrew. >> thank you muhammad and brandi. cooler air into the southeast. the cleanup continues along interstate 10 and 25, around mobile and houston. the winter aspect of the storm alive. heavy rain in boston throughout your thursday. the heavy snow blanketing new england. areas could pick up over one foot of snow.

former president george h.w. bush is in intensive care after another health setback. a spokesman says doctors are not able to lower mr. bush's high fever. so, he is on a liquid diet. he is said to be alert and conversing with medical staff. doctors are cautiously optimistic. >> he's in a bad way. but the doctors believe there's a path for him to recover from this. and if we can get him to rally a little bit, we can start talking about a discharge date. but we're not there yet. >> former first lady, barbara bush, and the former president's children have been at his bedside during this crisis. former south african president nelson mandela is out of the hospital. he spent more than two weeks in the hospital with a lung infection and other ailments. the 94-year-old will receive other medical care at his johannesburg home. now, to the fiscal cliff. still looming large as president obama returns to the white house

this morning. the president cut short his christmas vacation in hawaii to get back to washington. congress will be in session today, amidst fading hope that a deal could be reached by the new year. no agreement would mean spending cuts and historic tax hikes for virtually every american. officials in newtown have a message for people who want to send gifts to the grief-stricken town. please don't. they say gifts have arrived in such numbers, they overwhelmed the small community's ability to process them. a fund established after the shooting to support newtown has grown to $3.5 million. meanwhile, hundreds of schoolteachers plan to attend firearms training today in salt lake city. the 200 teachers come from districts across utah. they have volunteered for the concealed weapons training. organizers say in past years, only a few dozen teachers attended the training. they're expecting an overflow

crowd because of this month's tragedy in newtown, connecticut. west webster volunteer firefighters, who had been in guarded condition, are now being upgraded to satisfactory condition. the hospital released a statement on their behalf saying they're humbles and overwhelmed by the outpouring of well-wishes for us and our families, end quote. a police officer who was slightly injured in the shooting is also just overwhelmed. >> a very difficult, emotional experience for me because i'm trained to help people. at that point i can't because i don't have anything. >> ritter's windshield was hit by a spray bullet. there is growing controversy over a suburban new york newspaper's decision to publish the names and addresses of hand permit holders.

criminals have a guide to places they can steal guns. in albuquerque, a police officer is being credited with stopping what could have turned into a deadly shooting. >> drop the gun. drop the gun. >> drop the gun now. >> that is the officer intervening, possibly saving a man's life. every dramatic moment was captured on his lapel camera. police say the confrontation involved two military veterans, arguing over an anti-obama bumper sticker. when one man objected to the sticker, the man pulled out a gun and was holding it to the other man's head when that officer arrived. coming up, why a private investigator thinks whitney houston was murdered. first, how starbucks is getting involved in negotiations to avoid the fiscal cliff. and later, one man's priceless reaction as he opens his christmas gift. the video has gotten millions of views already. now, his family is sharing the inside story with us.

welcome back. toyota has agreed to one of the largest settlements in history, involving auto defect claims. the company has okayed a $1.1 billion deal to settle a class-action lawsuit that vehicles unintentionally accelerated. owners of about 18 million vehicles are covered by the settlement, which still needs approval from a federal judge. the year is ending on a high note for the housing market. nationwide home prices are on track to put up their first annual gains in six years. the latest numbers show home prices in the 20 biggest cities

jumped 4.3% in october. that's compared to a year ago. and the standard & poor's case report shows prices are up 6.9%. it's a different story for holiday sales, which are turning out to be the weakest since 2008. one retail report says sales in the two months leading up to christmas were up 0.7% from last year. one reason being hurricane sandy across the northeast. now, stores are trying to lure in shoppers with deep, post-christmas discounts. and starbucks stores in the nation's capital are serving up a political message with their coffee. ceo howard schultz is urging customers to write come together in their cups. that is an effort to keep us from going over the fiscal cliff next week. hollywood is celebrating as we close out 2012. it's been a big year in the

movies. with the number of tickets sold in the u.s. up for the first time in three years. it's set to take a record $10.8 billion, with ticket sales up 5.6%. quite an accomplishment in the age of impressive home theaters. meanwhile, when we come back, travelers weren't the only ones fed up with holiday deals. what an angry pilot had to say to his passengers about the matter. also, proof that you do not have to be a kid to get excited over your christmas present. you really have to stay tuned for this. the family behind this viral video is sharing their joy. oh, you have a keurig vue brewer? oh, it's great! now i can brew my coffee just the way i love it. how do you do that? well, inside the brewer, there's this train that's powerful enough to carry more coffee and fresh water to make coffee that's stronger and bigger...

and even hotter! actually, i just press this button. brew the coffee you love -- stronger, bigger, or hotter -- with the keurig vue. trying to find a better job can likbe frustrating.gs, so at university of phoenix we're working with a growing list of almost two thousand corporate partners - companies like microsoft, american red cross and adobe - to create options for you. not only that, we're using what we learn from these partners to shape our curriculum, so that when you find the job you want you'll be a perfect fit. let's get to work. is a little frightening. i weigh myself naked. can i take my clothes off, too? [ woman ] oh, i don't want to look. ♪ [ woman ] let's get it over with. ♪

satisfaction! satisfaction! pizzazz! pizzazz! confidence. i like it! joy! [ female announcer ] tell us... what will you gain when you lose? like say, gas station sushi. cheap is good. and sushi, good. but cheap sushi, not so good. it's like that super-low rate on not enough car insurance. pretty sketchy. ♪ and then there are the good decisions. like esurance. their coverage counselor tool helps you choose the right coverage for you at a great price. [ stomach growls ] without feeling queasy. that's insurance for the modern world. esurance. now backed by allstate. click or call. look at that. as we've been telling you, a large chunk of the nation is still getting hammered by snow, sleet, winds and rain. the storm is already blamed for at least six deaths. and it's knocked out power to

tens of thousands of people. and the severe weather, it is not over yet. this storm is making a mess of the morning commute across much of the northeast. wet and windy roads from philadelphia to new york and boston. and drivers will have to navigate snow-covered highways further inland. a slick ride from des moines to the northern rockies and pacific northwest. >> and if you're flying, good luck. airport delays are possible from d.c. to boston. also, in detroit and minneapolis. well, the frustration is boiling over as the storm continues to force hundreds of flight cancellations, leaving thousands of people stranded. of course, passengers aren't the only ones who have had enough. an american airlines pilot was clearly fed up and he addressed his passengers who had been stuck onboard for five years, five hours onboard, waiting to take off from dallas. >> it's beyond reproach. i have no words to tell you how sorry i am for all of this.

decisions are being made way above our heads by people that obviously, in my humble opinion, don't have a clue what they're doing. to say that flight never took off. as for today, the number of cancellations are at 200 and counting. a san diego area teenager may be heading into the new year with a new appreciation for life. >> he was rescued by a good samaritan after his car flipped and landed upside down in a river. paramedics and chp arrived to find the man coughing up water and choking. medics and firefighters carried the victim up the rocks and to the hospital. george escalante was that good samaritan. >> i encouraged him. i told him just to hang in there. and kept him conscious. he was coming in and out. you know, i just did -- i would expect someone to do that for

me. so, i did -- i helped him out. >> lucky he was there. look at that car. >> incredible. and just before the accident, escalante was jogging nearby. he saw the car careen across all lanes of a busy interstate, before it flew into the air and flipped into the water. today is the day for lance armstrong to appeal his lifetime cycling ban because he used performance-enhancing drugs. armstrong's seven tour de france victories were erased. armstrong signaled he has no intention of appealing the ban. time, now, for more sports. >> here's espn. >> randy scott with your "sportscenter" update. great night in the nba. a great finish in phoenix. it was the knicks taking on the suns. no carmelo anthony. no raymond felton for new york. they're only down two. 15 seconds to play. j.r. smith, never met a shot he hasn't liked. had a season-high 27 points.

he saved his best for last. one second to play. here's mike breen on the call. >> smith catches, shoots. puts it in at the buzzer. j.r. smith with another game-winner. >> mike breen, calling it as he sees it. his second game-winner there for j.r. smith in the month of december. celebrate however you want, young fella. then, it's steve nash and the lakers. they're taking on the nuggets in denver. kobe bryant tried to do the same. he went for 40. he has 4 40-point games this season. no one else in the nba has more than one. second quarter, though. that's corey brewer throwing down over pau gasol. turnover. third quarter, things getting physical. fareed driving. hard foul for dwight howard. and howard was ejected. take another look. referees determined that howard didn't make a play on the ball. mike d'antoni, the lakers head coach, was asked what did you

lose? with howard off the floor, not a whole lot. mcgee throwing down. nuggets win by 12. we have a trio of college bowl games starting on espn this afternoon. hope you'll join us. i'm randy scott. have a great day. >> can't wait. thank you. pro athletes can be dapper when they're not on the court or on the field. >> two members of the l.a. clippers attended their press conference in style. >> most guys have family here. we like that and to be able to play on christmas is, it means a lot. >> check out chris paul and blake griffin. how they managed to keep a straight face wearing he's outfits are anyone's guess. they got the ugly sweater of the year award. >> we need to get those on the show. an alabama man is going to have to contain himself until game day. after shedding tears of joy over his christmas gift. >> don buchanan was happy to get

the hat he wanted. but the lifelong alabama fan couldn't believe the surprise hidden inside by his son. >> we're going to the game, pop. we're going to the game. >> millions of people have enjoyed the video over the past couple of days. buchanan and his son have been season ticketholders for 20 years. but they've never gone to a postseason game. >> they just raised the bar. >> we're extremely happy with what we've got. family. and an opportunity. >> they just raised the bar for every gift-giver. you know, for dad next year. i think everyone of my dad's gifts i've gotten him do not compare to that. dad, we're getting you something better next year. oh, wow. coming up next in "the pulse," these bears are more than just adorabldorable. they're also very lucky. plus, a disturbing report about whitney houston.

a private investigator says she was murdered. and he says he has proof. stay with us. [ male announcer ] rocky had no idea why dawn was gone for so long... ...but he'd wait for her forever, for any reason, and would always be there with the biggest welcome home. for a love this strong, dawn only feeds him iams. compared to other leading brands, it has 50% more animal protein. ...to help keep rocky's body as strong as a love that never fades... if he ever lets her leave again. iams. keep love strong. up high! ok. don't you have any usefull apps on that thing? who do you think i am, quicken loans? ♪ at quicken loans, our amazingly useful mortgage calculator app allows you to quickly calculate your mortgage payment based on today's incredibly low interest rates... right from your iphone or android smartphone.

one more way quicken loans is engineered to amaze. ♪ i get congested. but now, with zyrtec-d®, i have the proven allergy relief of zyrtec®, plus a powerful decongestant. zyrtec-d® lets me breath freer, so i can love the air. [ male announcer ] zyrtec-d®. behind the pharmacy counter. no prescription needed.

time, now, to check "the pulse", the stories you'll be talking about today. and the shocking claim about the death of whitney houston. >> a private investigator says houston may have been murdered by a drug dealer over a huge drug debt. he says he has video evidence pointing in that direction. and he's already turned it over to the fbi. >> the surveillance video allegedly shows two unknown men who repeatedly went to the beverly hills hotel where houston was staying. kate winslet is now kate rock 'n' roll. the actress married her

boyfriend in new york city. his name, ned rock 'n' roll. he is the nephew of billionaire richard branson. and winslet was given away by leo dicaprio. this is kate's third marriage. it is rock 'n' roll second. do the kids go by winslet? rock 'n' roll? >> i'd take rock 'n' roll. >> pretty interesting. now, this, we've been waiting for. a dose of cute and cuddly. a second chance for two adorable baby bears. >> meet mashka and mishka, cubs that were rescued in eastern russia. the cubs' mother was killed by hunters. that means the cubs would have been doomed in the wild. things are looking up for them. they're reportedly being well taken care of. >> that's the cutest moment right there. pops right out. okay. from that to this. an incredible reunion between a woman and her cat.

it's being called a christmas miracle. an arizona woman got her beloved cat back, seven years after she lost her. and little sofia was found in san diego, about 400 miles from her home in phoenix. here's the reunion. family could no longer care for sofia. so, they turned her into the humane society. and luckily, she had one of those identifying microchips. >> i'm beyond excited. i just want to get her back home. >> seven years later. tricia osterman says getting sofia back is a present she will never forget. also this. best-selling writer, dennis lehane is so excited to get his dog back, he will name a character after in his next book for his beloved beagle. no luck in finding the last dog. you get a deal out of it with the book. for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, we'll be back with a celebration of the season. [ female announcer ] unlike other sour creams,

daisy is 100% pure with nothing else added. meals are simply better with a dollop of daisy. ♪ ♪ do a dollop, do, do a dollop of daisy ♪ a deep, throbbing, persistent ache. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves.

i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and for some people, it can work in as early as the first week of treatment. so now i can do more of the things that i enjoy. lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior, or any swelling or affected breathing or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. with less pain, i'm feeling better now that i've found lyrica. ask your doctor if lyrica is right for your fibromyalgia pain.

updating the top stories. former president george h.w. bush is in the intensive care unit after a high fever worsened. mr. bush has faced a series of health problems and was first hospitalized late last month. president obama will be back at the white house this morning after cutting his hawaiian vacation short. he is still hoping to work out a deal with congress to avoid the fiscal cliff before the new year. the storm that hammered the midwest with up to a foot of snow is now menacing the northeast. it's bringing heavy snow from pennsylvania to new england. and powerful winds, down all along the coast. looking at the rest of today's weather. rain from seattle to portland. light showers in the cascades, northern rockies and dakotas. rain in south texas. and finally this morning, a celebration of the season. >> kwanzaa festivities are taking place throughout the

country. and here's karen jordan in chicago. ♪ >> reporter: drums signal the start of kwanzaa, a week-long celebration of african heritage and culture among african-americans. this is the 18th year that malcolm x college is hosting a kwanzaa observance. and organizers say it gets larger every year. >> it's about families coming together so they can be with each other and share and talk about where we've come from, where we are now and where we must go as a people. >> reporter: kwanzaa is based on seven principles. and each day is dedicated to one of those principles. families seem to be taking it to heart. different generations celebrating together. steven flowers brought his niece and nephew. >> i think it's important for young african-americans to understand and know about their culture. >> i think us coming out today for it is a good opportunity because it's like we're exploring something other than what we already are doing. ♪

>> reporter: young people are the focus of a kwanzaa celebration at the bronzeville children's museum. >> seven beautiful principles we should follow every day of the year. >> reporter: where they get an early start learning about their heritage. back at malcolm x college, this man wants to instill that pride in his children. >> it's all about commercial digs. buy me, buy me. >> reporter: karen jordan, abc news. >> so nice to see people celebrating holidays that we don't often hear about. >> it's not as much about materialism as it is family and kwanzaa. >> and kwanzaa started on december 26th. it runs for about one week until january 1st. >> and we get to ring in the new year. that's what's making news in america this morning. >> stay with us for "good morning america." and have a wonderful, wonderful day.